Americans
Stuck In Political Stupor
By Joel S. Hirschhorn
30 July, 2007
Countercurrents.org
The
latest bipartisan George Washington University Battleground Poll rightfully
received media attention because of its depressing data. There is historic
political pessimism and cynicism. But something is more troubling than
the data on the dire views of Americans about their elected representatives
and government. It is that 72 percent of voters still believe that “voting
gives people like me some say about how the government runs things.”
Unbelievable! Such confidence in a system that has failed them.
Despite untrustworthy elected
officials and a dysfunctional government that takes care of the Upper
Class more than everyone else, Americans retain still believe in their
democracy. This logical absurdity – or delusional state –
is best explained by avoidance of the pain of cognitive dissonance.
Americans resist the reality that they are living in a sham representative
democracy where the rule of law is a growing fiction.
It should be noted (but was
not in the media coverage) that 75 percent of the likely voters were
45 or older, with a third retired. That makes the results even more
unsettling. They should know better than to keep believing they can
vote the nation into a better condition. Self-identified Republicans
were 41 percent, Democrats 42 percent, and Independents 15 percent.
Consider these reasons for
giving up on voting and elections under the grip of the two major parties:
Some 53 percent have an unfavorable view of politicians, with 55 percent
believing that most elected officials are untrustworthy. A majority
of 52 percent disapproves of the performance of the Democrats in Congress
and 61 percent disapprove of Republicans there. An incredible 93 percent
feels that lawmakers in Washington put partisan politics first compared
with citizens. But the biggest shift in voter opinion is that 71percent
think their own Member of Congress puts partisan politics first compared
with them, with 63 percent feeling strongly that way.
For the big picture: Seventy-percent
are now convinced that the country is off on the wrong track –
and 58 percent feel strongly that way. This is the worst score recorded
in the history of the Battleground survey. Democrats are universally
agreed about this point, but so are 71 percent of Independents and 49
percent of Republicans.
A plurality of 38 percent
believes their children will be worse off in the future and only a third
said they "think their own children will be better off than they
are right now -- a drop of 7 points since January." Pessimism is
worst among white Americans: Only 29 percent believe that their children
will be better off; 38 percent believe their children will be worse
off.
Dan Balz of the Washington
Post summed up: “the American people have entered this campaign
with a wholly cynical view of the political process.”
One trick of the political
status quo establishment to keep many Americans (but still less than
about half of all eligible voters) believing in voting is advertising.
Consider the current crowded presidential primary season. The mass media
constantly work to play up the races among Democratic and Republican
contenders. Why not? They make a ton of money from all the money spent
on campaign advertising. Televised debates and endless state and national
poll data are entertainment that fuel fake competition. It is sheer
manipulation of the electorate – to keep them interested in the
election and, worse, to keep them believing that it really matters who
wins in each party.
In the end, greedy and arrogant
power elites will ensure that only a “safe” candidate will
be chosen so that the two-party duopoly loses no power and no presidency
rocks the political boat or harms corporate America. Having so many
contenders in the primary season is a farce. The eventual Democratic
ticket will be Clinton and Obama. Period. End of story. It is the lowest
risk, smartest political strategy. On the Republican side there is more
uncertainty, but the likely ticket will be Giuliani and Thompson.
The true wildcard is whether
Michael Bloomberg enters the race as a third party candidate. I am rooting
for this. Objective statistical analysis of the American electorate
shows that the level of public discontent with Democrats and Republicans
is so high that a lavishly funded campaign by Bloomberg can make history.
Take independents, turned-off Democrats and Republicans, and the huge
numbers of eligible voters that do not usually vote. Bang! You have
more than enough votes to make Bloomberg president. By choosing a well
known but political maverick that the public trusts as a running mate,
he can win. It is exactly the kind of shake-up our political system
desperately needs.
Americans must awake from
their political stupor and stop letting themselves be victimized and
manipulated by the media/political/financial elites running and ruining
our nation.
[Joel S. Hirschhorn is the author of Delusional Democracy,
www.delusionaldemocracy.com, and a founder of Friends of the Article
V Convention, www.foavc.org.]
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